The key changes affecting destinations, both in the tourism marketplace and in the wider environment…
The key changes affecting destinations, both in the tourism marketplace and in the wider environment – relating to areas such as economics, security, health, and conservation of resources – were highlighted at a conference on New Models for Destination Management and Marketing Structures held in Larnaka, Cyprus on 21-22 October.
Among the leading issues discussed were the rapid expansion of low cost air routes, which increases the demand for do it yourself packages organized on the Internet; long term growth in demand for more customised, experience-based products; and greater competition, particularly in the sun, sea and sand sector, where capacity is expected to considerably exceed demand by 2010.
The main objective of the conference was to provide an initial understanding of the rapidly evolving phenomena that are affecting Destination Management/Marketing Organizations (DMOs) at national, regional and local level and to look at the efforts being made to create new structures and new practices to make destinations more competitive.
Several speakers focused on how to differentiate a destination from the competition, by underlining the importance of having a clear understanding of the market and ways to position destinations to offer a unique selling point to target markets. They also stressed the need to understand the consumer`s buying process and the ways in which it can be influenced.
Apart from using the most effective tools – which increasingly involves Internet – for their promotional activity, DMOs were encouraged to pay special attention to the branding of the destination and the values this conveys to customers.
Other presentations highlighted the importance of the quality of the destination experience, and of measuring the effectiveness of DMO activities, particularly their economic impact.
Among the key principles discussed for ensuring successful management and marketing were:
- Making use of public/private sector partnerships
- Having flexible structures, including goal-oriented project teams
- Having the right tools and techniques for the job, such as the implementation of e-business and destination management planning
- The benchmarking of performance against competitors
The conference, which was hosted by the Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO), attracted more than 250 participants from 28 countries representing NTAs, NTOs, DMOs, the travel trade and educational institutions. It was opened by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos, and the Secretary-General of WTO, Francesco Frangialli.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
